The Rainbow Connection
by TheRealGalwayGirl
Summary: In the aftermath of the loss of the Glee Club, some familiar faces provide much needed support. ONE-SHOT


_Autumn, 2009._

 _Artie Abrams rolled into the auditorium of William McKinley High School where the school's Jazz Ensemble held it's practices every afternoon. He had some big news._

 _"Hey Artie!" a masculine voice shouted._

 _"What up Luke," he responded, looking to where the bassist was standing atop a stack of subs._

 _"Artie, what's with the face?" Aidan asked, the dark-skinned guitarist popping up from behind Luke._

 _Artie shot him a look, and called the band together, "I have some really big news guys."_

 _"You're gonna walk again?" Lisa, the band's lead violinist jumped excitedly._

 _"Uh no." Artie smiled, he had known Lisa since before his accident, and she believed that he would walk again one day. The little Asian's face fell._

 _"I joined the New Directions, and they have the same practice time as us."_

 _The band was in uproar, Artie was their lead guitarist and face of their band. He wasn't allowed to just leave like that with no warning whatsoever._

 _"But why man?" Aidan asked as Lisa rushed forward and latched onto Artie._

 _"Cause I want to sing and dance, and they need a guitarist too."_

 _"And you didn't think to talk to us before this?" Ben, the drummer, piped up._

 _"I don't know, I guess I made the decision without really thinking."_

 _"Look man, where you go; we will follow," Aidan interjected, an idea forming in his mind, "you said they needed musicians, we'll offer them our services as back-up and support and you can live the best of both worlds."_

 _Artie smiled, Lisa still attached to his arm, "Man, thanks. This is gonna be awesome."_

* * *

 _They met up with the New Directions for their first performance in the auditorium after school as Artie had informed them. But what they were expecting and what they got where two very different things._

 _"Wait, there's six of you?" Aidan was in shock. He thought that there'd be at least 15 members in the fledgling club. The band outnumbered them 1:4 easily._

 _Finn shrugged, "Glee isn't exactly the most popular club."_

 _"Uh Finn," Mercedes interjected, "we're at the bottom of the social ladder."_

 _They laughed. The band had always been a mid-ground, viewed as neither popular or outcast._

 _"We may not be much, but we have spark," Rachel said hopefully, a light dancing in her warm brown eyes. In all their eyes was a flicker of hope, Aidan noted, and their faces set with determination to rise to the top, and forge a bond like the band's._

 _They moved off, they all needed to change for the performance. But Aidan called a halt to the band, bringing them around him._

 _"These guys need us," he said, "Artie was nuts for joining them but they have something in them." He looked around at the band, "Artie is our brother in arms, where he goes, we go. And now that means something more: Where the New Directions go, we will provide the beat," Aidan stated, promising to help the fledgling club to become more._

 _He was relieved to see everyone cheering at his statement, agreeing with his leadership. Until Ben ruined it,_

 _"Except of a cliff," he butted in sarcastically._

* * *

Autumn, 2012

It was Blaine who informed the Jazz Band that the New Directions had been disbanded after their disastrous loss at sectionals. It was just after sectionals, and the band was hiding away in their storeroom, packing away their instruments for the evening after the results had been announced.

They all exchanged looks of despair, as Blaine broke down before them – as if the news was crushing him. Chris, the current lead guitarist, could not believe it. He joined the band the previous year after moving to Ohio from Norway and instantly found a home in the Band, with support from the New Directions. No one really knew just how deep the connection between the Jazz Ensemble and the New Directions. He remembered being told of the story from Ben and Luke - how the Jazz Band swore to support the fledgling Glee Club and even gave them Artie as a gesture of goodwill between the clubs. He felt tears forming in the corner of his eyes, remembering all they had done together; even if people only notice the New Directions, they were okay with that.

Chris felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked to see Lisa. She wrapped her arms around him and they cried together in the choir room. The whole band cried in a moment of pain at the loss of their sister club, and other half. The two clubs truly were joined at the hip.

Blaine left, stating that he had to get back to the choir room and re-join the New Directions. The pain in his face was clear to all of them. The band stood quietly, the only sound was that of tears and the occasional so.

"We should do something," Mai Xi, a sophomore violist, broke the tension.

A quite chorus of agreement rose from the band.

"Any ideas?" Ben asked them. The band remained silent, what could they do that would cheer the singers up after that loss? That was, until Lisa exclaimed excitedly,

"The Muppets!"

Ben looked confused, "We're doing a sequel? Didn't he just say that Glee Club was over."

The band laughed as Lisa retorted, "The Rainbow Connection"

* * *

The band put into action a relatively simple plan. While the New Directions might not have access to the auditorium, they did. So they left a note for Finn and Will to bring the glee clubbers to the auditorium the next day after school during the band's alloted time.

Chris stood next to the empty drum kit in the auditorium, watching as the New Directions filed in and sat down.

Finn noticed him standing alone onstage and asked, "Why'd you call us here dude?"

Chris smiled knowingly as he strummed his beloved Norwegian banjo as the New Directions watched him curiously, and he began to sing,

 _"Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side?  
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide.  
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.  
I know they're wrong wait and see.  
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.  
The lovers, the dreamers and me."_

Tina jumped up on stage, taking over on the next verse, _"Who said that every wish, would be heard and answered, when wished on the morning-star?  
Someone thought of that, and someone believed it.  
Look what it's done so far."_

Chris joined in, the duo blending well together, _"What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing and what do we think we might see?  
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection."_

The band filed out of their hiding spots around the stage wearing bold t-shirts of varing colours, standing around Chris and Tina, and motioned for the New Directions to join them, _"The lovers, the dreamers and me."_

The glee club jumped on stage, joining the band in song,

 _"All of us under its spell.  
We know that it's probably magic._

 _Have you been half asleep, and have you heard voices?  
I've heard them calling my name.  
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors.  
The voice might be one and the same.  
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.  
It's something that I'm supposed to be.  
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me._

 _La-da-da, de-da-da-do  
La-da-da-da-da-de-da-do"_

As their voices faded, there was not a dry eye in the auditorium.

Voice cracking, Ben spoke up, "We thought you could use a little encouragement."

"But now we're all crying," Luke interjected ironically.

Tears mixed with laughter as the two clubs joined together, for what they hoped would not be the last time.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, FOX does. FOX also owns the cover image and the song belongs to Walt Disney's Muppets (2011). I own nothing.**

 **AN: The Muppets are a big thing for me. And the band, band family is life where I come from. Once in the band, always in the band.**


End file.
